You Capture Me
by CursedRedRose
Summary: 1890's AU. Adrien, unsatisfied with his normal cold life, spends his nights as the notorious cat burglar Chat Noir, playing tricks on all of Paris. However, one night he spies a girl called Marinette through her window and everything is turned upside down. But what connection does she have with the mysterious dancer Ladybug who has taken Paris by storm? And who is after her?
1. Chapter 1

_I thought of this AU and I had to write it…I really have caught the Miraculous bug…(hehe sorry I'm as bad as Chat Noir with puns). Please enjoy and tell me what you think!_

There was no moon standing guard over Paris that night. The stars were hidden behind a cloak of black cloud and the air was cold and still, silent apart from the distant rustlings of the night that rippled through the thin winding streets. It was exactly the kind of night Adrien Agreste yearned for, the kind of night where it was so quiet and still, he felt like the only person in the world. It was a perfect night for a cat burglar.

He shimmied expertly up a wall and slunk his way along the roof on all fours, occasionally pausing to secure the black mask on his face. Green eyes the colour of peridots shone out from behind the black leather and the thin pupils darted around in the darkness, looking for any movement. He dug his gloved fingers, that had a striking resemblance to claws, through his blond hair and almost purred when he saw two people walking down the street below him. He could see them but they had no idea that he was up there watching them and that sent a thrill running through him. Up here, he was as free and independent as the black alley cat he dressed like and nobody could take that from him.

He stretched out his body and a quiet yowl escaped him which made him smile. He quite enjoyed living up to the name the papers had given him-Chat Noir, the most cunning trickster thief in all of Paris. Not that he ever kept any of the riches he took-God only knew he had enough in his empty home. No, he just enjoyed playing tricks with them and the rich and wealthy of Paris were his toys. Nobody knew quite what he would do next. One lady had lost a string of pearls worth thousands only for it to be discovered three days later threaded like bunting through a tree in the enclosure of wild cats at the zoo. A man had found his golden pocket watch with a diamond chain attached to the feet of a pigeon. A stage magician had conjured up several items of missing jewellery during a show and had nearly been arrested. Confusion was rife among the citizens of Paris and Chat Noir was stirring the chaos and glorying in it. It made things so much more interesting than when he was his usual shy self.

Tonight had been a good night thus far. He had bagged a small crystal mirror on a chain, a jewelled red charm in the shape of a heart, a gold flower broach and a pair of earrings spotted with glowing gems. It had been all too easy for someone as quiet as him. The feeling of fear and excitement he got from sneaking around other people's homes was intensely addictive. He could tell that time was slipping away from him but he had to try one last house. He clambered along the pointed roof of this final house which sat up straight on the joint where several other streets collided like a proud watchman surveying the city. He took a moment to look down at the pavement below. During the daytime he knew it would be crawling with people rushing around like ants but for now it was blissfully quiet. As he dropped down he recognised the sign of the famed Dupain-Cheng bakery and he grinned in glee, his white teeth gleaming. This would really be a thrill.

He cascaded a little further down the side of the building and edged his way towards the nearest window. He could spot the gentle glow of candlelight from inside and, although every instinct in his body was telling him to step away, he couldn't resist looking. He had found he enjoyed seeing people in their homes, seeing how they were when they believed no one was watching. Often he would see happy families and it would make him ache inside for something like that, something he knew he would never find at home. Maybe that was why he did this, he mused as he drew closer to the window. He preferred feeling the fear and excitement and all the other buzzing emotions that came with the rush than feeling nothing at all.

He nimbly hopped down onto the windowsill and peered into the room. It was fairly big with light pink walls and had a few windows and a skylight that was covered. The one he was looking through was the only one with no hangings over it to block him from the inside. At first all he could see were shadows but then he started to make out shapes of items in the small amount of light; a dress-makers dummy, a chaise longue, a bed. He cast his eyes over it all before they reached the candle that flickered merrily on a small table next to the bed. Sitting up in the bed, he could see a figure there earnestly scribbling on a piece of paper. The figure was a young woman, bent over the paper so he couldn't see her face behind a curtain of her hair. He watched for a second as her hand flew over the surface before flourishing overzealously. The action sent the papers spilling from her hand across the covers and she scrambled to pick them all up. As she sat back upright, he caught sight of her face as the gentle light caressed it and the sight made him gasp and nearly tumble from the window. He could never have imagined anything could look so beautiful. The candlelight was illuminating her pale skin, making it luminous like she was made of starlight. She had long black hair that poured past her shoulders with ripples in it from where it had been tied into ponytails and round blue eyes the colour of a peacock's feather. Her long fingers chased the papers across her covers as she gathered them back up, holding them close to her chest. He saw her chest heave with a relieved sigh and he felt something in his own tighten, like those fingers of hers were strumming his heartstrings. She was wearing a plain white nightdress with a touch of lace around the edge of the sleeves and it reminded him of an angel. She began to draw again, even more fiercely than before and he felt like he could watch her forever.

There was a sudden loud rapping noise from the floor below and both he and the girl jumped. "Marinette!" A deep voice bellowed. "Are you drawing again?"

"No Papa!" The girl answered not very convincingly, her voice lyrical as a song and he leaned closer to the cold glass to hear more. "I'm just going back to sleep! I…woke up for a second and needed some light, that's all!"

"You better not be!" The voice answered with a chuckle. "You'll ruin those pretty eyes of yours! Now go back to sleep! Goodnight Marinette!"

"Goodnight Papa!" She called back before she put the piece of paper so had been drawing on smoothly on top of a tall pile that rested dangerously on the table and softly blew out the candle. The room was abruptly filled with darkness but he could still make out her outline as her breathing slowed into sleep. He leaned in even closer so his nose was squashed against the glass, yearning to capture every detail of her in his memory.

Marinette. That was her name, a name almost as lovely as her. He put his hand on the window latch and, to his surprise, it swung open easily. He bent his head into the room and saw her flinch at the cold air that suddenly rushed in. He quickly closed the window and watched her settle back down, now facing towards him. A lock of hair had fallen across her face and his finger twitched like they wanted to curl it back behind her ear. He looked away from her and saw that, on the horizon, daylight was beginning to clamber back into the sky. He turned back to the girl and smiled at her.

"I will come back." He whispered a promise as he brought his fingers to his lips and then lightly pressed them to the window, leaving a silver mark like the fingertips of a ghost. He then sprang away from the window and dashed off into the night but not without one last glance behind him and one last smile. "My princess."


	2. Chapter 2

The next night, he was back outside the bakery. The day had felt long and torturous; he had spent every minute since the sun had come up thinking about her. The image of her face smiling, concentrating, in panic, every form he had seen it take in that brief window of time had danced through his mind and he had been burning for night to come so he could see her again. He wasn't sure what it was about her that had captivated him so intensely-he hadn't even spoken to her and there had been many pretty girls that had thrown themselves at him due to the fact that he was from one of the oldest and richest families in Paris, not to mention how famous his father was as a designer and how he would model his designs... There was one girl in particular, a blonde named Chloe, who refused to leave him alone. But Marinette…even her name sent a shudder of pleasure through him, like a stroke from a gentle hand. She was different, unlike anyone else he had ever seen, unlike any of the fake posh society members he was forced to spend his time with. The moment that the sky had gone dark and the stars had winked at him, almost in encouragement, he had headed straight for her window. Now he was perched on the windowsill, about to pull himself up and see her again.

For a moment he had hesitated. What if he was building this all up for nothing? What if she wasn't there or, even worse, he didn't feel the same way? He wasn't sure if he could cope if his hopes were dashed like that. He peered over into the room and saw she was asleep in her bed. Again her beauty took all his breath away and he had to remember to pull himself fully up. He gazed through the glass as she mumbled and stirred in her sleep, a small smile appearing on her lips. The skylight was covered again but there was a small gap in the covering that let a crack of moonlight fall onto her skin in a jagged line, making her look even more beautiful than she had in the candlelight. He once again hesitantly tried the latch and again it swung open like it was inviting him in. He delicately leapt through and closed it silently behind him, crouching in the shadows as he waited to see if she would wake up. For a second, she frowned in her sleep and he held his breath but she didn't move, instead only murmuring something in her sleep that he couldn't make out and burrowing further under her covers.

Slowly, he eased himself away from the window and moved towards the table on all fours where the messy stack of paper threatened to topple over at any moment. He slid one from the top and looked at it, memorised by the pencil strokes that curved across the page. They formed a dancer frozen on pointed toes, her body stretched out to it's very limit with her chin held high and her arms reaching for the sky. She was dressed in the most exquisitely drawn dress he had ever seen with a heavily ruffled bell-shaped skirt and a slim bodice decorated with spots, all coloured a deep red with splashes of black for the spots and strokes of gold that edged the ruffles and ran along the seams of the bodice. It was so lifelike he almost expected the dancer on the page to relax and carry on with her dance.

He looked over at the girl lying in the bed and smiled. My princess has talent, he thought as he reached for another piece of paper. All of her drawings depicted the same dancer, one who looked very similar to her with black hair woven into a plaited bun and a red spotted mask on her face that covered her closed eyes. In each one she had been drawn in a different position; in one she had her left leg out straight behind her in an arabesque, in another she was in mid-twirl with her skirt flying out around her, in another she was sunk in a deep curtsey. His eyes devoured each one as he delved through the pile of paper. Through these drawings, he felt like he was taking a glimpse into her soul and all of a sudden it felt desperately private and…wrong. He quickly put them back, making sure that they were all in the same order before he backed away from them. Why did he feel so bad? He thought. He never usually did but there was something about her not knowing he was there, only a few metres from her as she slept…

She turned over and he dared to go closer to her so he was crouching right by her bed. He was so close, he could see the pattern of the lace on her nightgown and he saw it was decorated with little ladybugs made in white thread. Her black hair was loose and it spilled onto the creamy pillow like ink on paper. For a moment, his arm raised to curl one of the long tendrils around his finger but he stopped it in mid-air and pulled it back. He felt like it would be so wrong of him to do that to her, that it would make him indecent and somehow he would sully her with his own foolishness. He looked down at himself mortified as he edged back to the window before an idea struck him that made him smile. If she is my princess, that makes me her knight, he thought as he hastily left the room to go on a hunt. And so I will act like one and court her properly like she deserves.

When Marinette Dupain-Cheng was woken up in the morning by the daylight that emptied onto her face through the skylight, she felt like there was something different about the room. She looked around as she sat up but there was nothing out of place. She had felt the same the morning before when she had woken up drained from almost a whole night of secretly drawing and the whole day of hard work in the bakery had made her drop off to sleep almost the moment her head had touched the pillow. Now the feeling was stronger and the air smelled slightly different, delicately sweeter and more fragrant.

It was then that she looked down at her pile of drawings and saw the rose. The flower was a monstrous size as the cluster of crimson petals was the size of her fist and the stem was almost a foot long. It was at the very peak of its bloom with its petals fanned out proudly, each one as smooth as silk. She stared at it in awe for a moment as she had never seen a flower like it. She had heard roses were meant to be the most superior of flowers but she had never seen why until now.

She picked it up, twirling the deep green stem that felt like sturdy leather in her fingers and breathed in the heady scent that made her mind spin. She noticed that each of the thorns had been cut from the stem, leaving it smooth and pain-free, and she marvelled at it. Who could have left her such a beautiful thing? She wondered as she got up to put it in a vase. Not her parents for sure, she would have heard them creeping up into her room, neither of them were particularly silent. But then who? She had no admirers who could have afforded such a gift, she was only a baker's daughter after all and even though they had money they had to work for it and the highest levels of society shunned them all for it. She pressed her nose to the flower and breathed in the enchanting smell again as she placed it on the table with some water to make sure it lasted. It was surely the most beautiful flower she had ever seen and her fingers were desperate to draw it before it wilted.

It was when she reached over for her pencil that she saw the small mark that had been carved into the stem just underneath the head of the flower. It was a small heart pieced with an arrow like the kind lovers engraved into trees in the park. She moved closer as she realised there were two letters written underneath that she could only just read but they made it no clearer than it had been before.

"CN?" She whispered aloud as she heard her father calling from downstairs. "Who is CN?"

 _As you can probably tell, I have a thing for roses, especially red ones… Thanks for all the support, I'm so excited for the rest of this! Please review!_


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning Adrien felt on edge. As he sat alone at the long dining table which stretched out before him in the long thin room, he kept sneaking glances at the grandfather clock that stood by the door, watching its finely crafted gold hands as the minutes slowly ticked away. She should be awake by now, he thought with a bit of panic clutching at his insides. I wonder if she's seen it yet, I put it right next to her bed so she should have. What if it fell off? What if she didn't like it? What if she hates it?

His mind was going frantic with all the possibilities of what could be happening but on the outside his face appeared blank and calm as he sipped at his morning tea. He knew he was being closely watched by Natalie, the housekeeper, and that anything out of the ordinary would be reported back to his father and he couldn't afford to let anyone know he was Chat Noir. Here he was shy polite Adrien Agreste, the son of the famous Gabriel Agreste and the result of his all too tragic marriage. His normal quiet personality was so different from Chat Noir that he knew nobody would ever put the pieces together but he couldn't afford to get cocky and let something slip. Chat Noir was the only thing he had outside of his regular world and he didn't want to let it slip through his fingers.

He stared straight ahead as he picked at his breakfast whilst Natalie went about organising things around him. She was a domineering woman in what looked to be her thirties although Adrien wouldn't have been surprised if she were older or younger. She had a sharp face with rigid cheekbones that could have cut glass and a thin mouth that was always set in a determined line. Spectacles hung on the end of her needle-like nose and her black hair was pulled back in a stern bun like a schoolteacher. She had keep the house running efficiently for years and attended to his every need but she was a cold and unyielding woman and although they had something of a bond after all those years, he knew she was essentially a spy for his father who always wanted to control where he went and who he saw. That was one of the many reasons he found Chat Noir so appealing-then he was free and out of anyone else's control.

Natalie suddenly left the room and he took a moment to lean back and sigh. Never in his life had so much been hinged on something so small like a single flower. To distract himself, he looked around the ornate room he sat in. It was decorated solely in black and white with different patterns in different places to draw the eye-along the floor was a criss-cross pattern that gave the appearance of opening flowers and on one wall there were thin pinstripes that blurred together into grey if you looked at them too long. Tall thin windows were flanked by thin white veils for curtains and in the middle of the room was the long dining table made from the finest of oaks in the city with row of matching chairs with white silk either side that nobody ever sat on. There was little else in the room aside from these distracting patterns which seemed to want to draw the eye away from a giant painting that commanded one wall. Adrien looked up at it and managed a small sad smile. He had gazed on it many times but he never grew tired of seeing it and he doubted he ever will despite the conflicting emotions it brought up.

It had been painted a few years ago and showed him standing with both his parents. Gabriel Agreste stood upright in a white suit with one arm around his wife and his other hand resting on Adrien's shoulder. There was a warm expression on his face that Adrien hadn't seen in the flesh for a long time as he looked down at the face of Adrien's mother who was wearing a dress of bright blue and had her hand on his other shoulder. Her beautiful face was staring down at him with a smile curling at her lips and he himself was looking happier than he had ever been. In that moment he was surrounded by love and he could remember every second before it had been taken away from him.

The story of Adaline Agreste was one of twists and turns and it still lit up the tongues of Paris even years after it had happened, following Adrien like a cloud of gas that wanted to smoother him. She had been a dancer at the Paris Opera House, performing ballet night after night until one night she had been spotted by Gabriel, who had only just taken over the Agreste empire. He had insisted on meeting her after the performance and within months the pair had been married, swept away by the power of their love for each other. He had been told this story by Natalie many times during her warmer moments when she seemed to thaw a little and it felt like a real-life fairy tale. The whole of society had been scandalised but they hadn't cared at all. Adrien had then been born and their world had been perfect.

Then it had all crumbled when she had disappeared. To this day nobody knew what had happened to her. Many theories had been passed around through word of mouth down the grapevine of Parisian gossip that she was dead of some disease, had been murdered by countless suspects including ex-lovers and his own father or that she had run away and was living secretly somewhere. Nobody really knew; the only thing Adrien knew was that she had left a great void that his father had forbidden him to speak of. All Adrien wanted was to hear her voice again, feel her hands running through the golden tufts of hair he had inherited from her and see that smile that had captivated so many but now he doubted he ever would again.

Adrien was suddenly shaken from his blissful memories by Natalie throwing something on the table in front of him with a loud tutting noise. "Looks like that Ladybug is front page news again." She commented with a frown as they both surveyed the front of the morning's newspapers. "She's really becoming popular now."

"Ladybug?" Adrien picked up the nearest sheet of paper and smoothed it out to read it. "Mystery Ladybug Steals More Hearts At The Grand Palace?" he read the headline out loud in confusion and looked over at Natalie as she scanned the rest of them.

"Have you not heard of her?" Natalie asked him and when he gave her a confused look she went on to explain. "This Ladybug is the stage name of this new dancer who has been performing at all the most prestigious venues across the city. They say that she is a marvel, all who have seen her say she is the most beautiful dancer in the world, that her performances move the most stony-hearted critics to tears. She is fast becoming one of the most famous figures in Paris and yet nobody knows her real identity-she refuses to talk with the press like most of them and nobody is allowed to bring cameras into her performances but this just makes them even more fascinated by her. She claims to do this for her own safety to protect herself."

"From what?" Adrien asked, intrigued.

"Nobody knows." Natalie shrugged as she gathered up the scattered papers and made them into a neat pile. "But they say that she has caught the attention of Hawkmoth."

"Hawkmoth?" Adrien repeated but they both knew she didn't have to explain who he was. Hawkmoth was one of the most ruthless yet secretive businessmen in Paris, so secretive only a few people claimed to have met him and even then they had not seen his face behind the grey mask he wore. He owned the infamous Papillion, a performing house where anything was allowed providing he could make a profit from it. Stories of what went on behind the doors told of dark and crazy things and those who listened knew that if even half of them were true, it was indeed a place of debauchery. Hawkmoth was always on the prowl for new attractions and was ruthless in his persuasion. Nobody wanted him on their tails as he ruined people before.

"Surely she wouldn't do such a thing?" Adrien said as he picked up the paper and began to read. There was no way such a talented dancer would go to that place, he thought, I suspect some would die before letting that happen.

"Who knows?" Natalie said bluntly, signalling the conversation was over. "Now hurry up with your breakfast. We have a very busy day today."

Adrien let out a small groan and slumped in his seat. How was he supposed to go a whole day like this? His father had another new collection out and he was going to model the entire line which would make for good advertising he knew, but also for a long and tedious day until he could see her again. Unless…

An idea hit him and he had to bite his lip to stop him calling out. "Natalie?" He asked in his most pleading voice possible. "Can we make a small stop first on the way to the photo shoot?"

She looked at him perplexed and said "Where is this stop?"

"It's a bakery, it's really not that far from here." He said, wondering if begging on his knees would work on her. "I've heard they have the most amazing cookies and I would really like to try one…"

"I don't know Adrien." Natalie looked away from the gaze of his pleading eyes that he had widened as much as possible, making him look almost like an injured kitten. "Surely that wouldn't be good for you and you would be late…"

"It will only be one and I'll be in and out before you know it! I promise, just this once, please?"

She looked down at him and let out a relenting sigh. "Fine. But just this once."

"Yes!" To her surprise, he jumped out of his chair and raced for the door. "I'll give you directions!"

As he sprinted away, she walked after him whilst checking his schedule. It couldn't hurt to give him a little break, she thought, but it's probably best his father doesn't hear about this. He may get mad. She looked up and saw he was already by the carriage almost barging the door down to get in. Really, what is up with him today? She thought. He's never been this excited before. She gave a shrug and a sigh as she climbed in next to him and noticed he was almost bouncing in his seat. Those cookies really must be good.

A few minutes later, they were outside the bakery. Even though it was early the place was already humming with customers looking to buy their morning loaf of fresh bread and sample the warm buttery croissants that were on display. There were trays of a dozen varieties of baked goods on display from tiny cakes with delicately spun sugar decorations to crispy baguettes and tarts layered with jewelled fruits and whipped cream. Adrien was so eager to enter he was pressing his nose against the glass as he searched the crowd for a glimpse of raven black hair and blue eyes. He heard Natalie sigh next to him as she checked the time.

"I'm really not sure this is wise Adrien, maybe I should…" She started to say but before she could finish, he had already sped out of the carriage and was outside the door. He turned back and gave her a little wave before he disappeared into the crowd of people.

The warm smell of baking hit him the moment he entered and for a few seconds he paused to enjoy the way it rushed over him and escaped into the street. He looked around and saw several people in aprons dashing about with trays and spoons but there was no sign of her. Maybe she was out the back? He thought a little sadly as he wriggled his way through the crowd and suddenly came across a long tray of the cookies he had been looking for. They did look good, he had to admit as he stared through the glass at them, now how many could he…

"Hello, can I help you?"

A familiar sweet voice addressed him and he jerked his head upright. Marinette Dupain-Cheng was standing behind the glass counter looking at him with a friendly smile on her face. Her hair was tied back in two ponytails with red ribbon and over a simple blue dress she was wearing an apron that bore the golden initials of the bakery. There was also a streak of flour across her flushed pink cheek. He stood there for a moment, his mouth trying to move and form words but no sound came out. He couldn't believe it was her standing in front of him, looking so beautiful it almost hurt…

She frowned and brought a hand up to her face. "Is there something there?" She asked him before she noticed the white powder on her fingers and laughed, a sound that was music to his ears. "Oh I'm sorry, I thought I had cleaned all of that off…I must have looked so silly."

"No, not at all," Adrien reassured her. "In fact you looked quite nice." He wanted to clap his hand over his mouth the minute the words left his mouth. He had just told her she looked nice with flour on her face, what was wrong with him? "Though I-I'm sure you always look n-nice…"

She laughed again and he let out a little sigh of relief. "Well, I don't think it will be the next fashion trend but I'll take the compliment." She gave him a warm smile and he felt his heart skip a beat. "Can I get you anything?"

"Err…yes," He stuttered, his tongue suddenly refusing to obey him. "Can I get some…err…how many cookies can I get for this?" He held out his hand and she took a glance at the coins he had there and her eyes widened.

"That's probably for more cookies than we have in the store." She answered as she looked at the pile of gold coins. "You must be hungry."

"Oh…" He could feel his face going red. She must think I'm an idiot, he thought. "OK, how about just this?" He asked handing over one of the coins.

"That will be half a dozen cookies." She told him as she took the coin and put six of the delicious-smelling cookies in a white paper bag. "Here you are. Thank you and have a nice day Mr... erm…"

"Adrien. Call me Adrien." He smiled at her and he saw her eyes were looking at him surprised. "What's your name?"

"Marinette. Call me Marinette."

They smiled at each other and for a moment the hustle and bustle of the bakery went silent and still around them like they were frozen in glass.

"Adrien!" Adrien quickly turned around to see Natalie was standing in the doorway and giving him a panicked look. "We are going to be late, hurry up!"

"Bye!" He turned back around to her and gave a quick wave as he sprinted from the building, nearly knocking over a few people and tripping on someone's foot. He heard her calling a goodbye and when he turned around at the door he saw her giving him a wave back. He gave a wide grin as his heart leapt, only to be dragged back to reality when Natalie grabbed his collar and forced him back into the carriage.

"Honestly, I don't know what has gotten into you!" She scolded him, her eyes going wide in horror when she saw how many cookies he had. "Adrien you said you were only getting one!"

"But they are so good!" he protested, holding out the bag and shaking it to make her take one. She reluctantly did and saw him pass one to the carriage driver and then told him to take another for the horse. She nibbled on hers quietly and saw how his radiant smile lit up his face as he stared dreamily out of the window of the carriage. Maybe this was a good thing for him, she thought with a little smile of her own. He must really like those cookies.

 _Thanks for all the reviews and stuff for this everyone, they are so great! I reversed the roles a bit for this so Adrien is the one who adorably stutters-I love the little dork. Thanks so much *hurdles cookies at you all*_


	4. Chapter 4

_Hey next chapter! This took a while as I had less writing time because I was away. Thanks for the reviews and for the song mentioned by afellowjedi-it's such a beautiful song, I loved it! Please enjoy the chapter!_

Every morning for the next few days, Marinette woke up to find a rose in her bedroom. Her visitor had seemed to like how she had put the first rose in a vase as the following morning, she discovered it had been joined by a twin, identical in every way right down to the marking from the mysterious CN. Then they had started to appear in different places. One had been tucked into the weaving of her dress makers dummy, another was found resting on her chaise longue like it had always been there. Another morning it had been the first thing she saw as it dangled from one of her own hair ribbons from her skylight. One morning she had looked around but could not find it and she had felt disappointed only for her to open a drawer and find it filled to the brim with rose petals, each larger than the face of a pocket watch. Their fragrance was now burned into her memory and each time she found one, she couldn't help holding it close to her and daydreaming about who was leaving them for her. The vase was filling up each and every day yet she was no closer to guessing who it could be.

She had tried to deduce who it could be but she had always come up clueless as she knew nobody who would think to do such a thing for her. She also had barely any time to think; her parents always needed help in the bakery as, despite all the new machinery that had flooded Paris, it seemed the one place it hadn't reached was their bakery's kitchen. Her father stubbornly carried on making everything the way their family had always done and that meant all hands were needed. There were also her other activities that didn't bear mentioning that resulted in her falling asleep almost the minute she got into bed these days. She tried one night to stay awake and spot who was entering her room by keeping her candle burning but it hadn't worked-she had woken up the next morning to find the rose was next to her face on the pillow with a small note attached saying Nice Try Princess, signed in the same way of CN. She had frequently wished that she owned a box camera so she could take a snapshot of whoever was coming in but even though they were now very popular and it was the turn of the century, she still hadn't gotten her hands on one as her family were still very traditional and didn't want to waste money on an expensive toy. They had never been interested in status symbols which was why she loved them so-they didn't care much for the class that constantly shunned them. However, that night, after one whole week of receiving these anonymous but beautiful gifts, she had come up with the perfect plan and this time, they weren't going to get away.

She already knew how they got into her room, there was only one window that was big enough for a person to get through and she always kept it unlocked so she could make her own escapes. That evening she attached a small golden bell to the window latch so that when it moved, she would know the window was open. Just in case that didn't wake her up, she had also attached one to a length of ribbon she had tied across the room as a hastily-made tripwire. Now there was no way she could not hear it and she would finally meet her secret admirer.

As she went to bed that night, her muscles aching with tiredness from another day of lugging around bags of flour and serving customers, she felt like she could burst with excitement yet she was also really nervous. She didn't know what she was going to say when she uncovered the identity of the gift leaver. She supposed she wanted to thank them but then what would she say? Would they be offended and stop? Would they demand anything from her? What if it was a trick or something? Should she want to thank them or should she be scared that somebody was creeping around in her room? These thoughts kept picking at her brain and kept her awake for far longer than normal. She tried to draw but ended up ripping the paper in her tense state. She worried and tossed around in her bed for what seemed like ages as the night dragged on but her exhaustion won in the end and she fell asleep.

She was woken up by the tiniest of tickling sounds that suddenly stopped but then was followed by a small creak and a whisper of cold air as the window opened. Her eyes flickered open but she didn't dare move, instead listening out for the sounds of the person in her room. She kept her breathing steady as she heard the soft footsteps of somebody creeping towards the bed. She gently angled her head in the darkness and she saw something moving in the shadows by her desk. She saw their outline as they stood almost in the middle of the room, appearing to be pondering where to put the rose they were twirling in their fingers. She watched them breathlessly for a moment before the figure gave a satisfied nod and took a determined step forwards. Their foot brushed against the ribbon and set off a louder tinkling noise that made them freeze before they both spring suddenly into action.

Marinette sat up in the bed and the figure jumped into the air in shock, dropping the rose. They then turned to flee and made a beeline for the window but Marinette had already leapt from her bed and across the room with a speed even she didn't know she possessed. She slammed the window shut and turned to face the intruder, her chest heaving as they halted a few paces from her. Luminous green eyes that seemed to absorb all the dim light in the room stared into her own and she felt a shiver running down her spine that had nothing to do with the cold glass that pressed against it.

"Well, well," A voice purred from the darkness. "It appears that you have beaten me princess. I would take my hat off to you if I wore one."

Fumbling as her hands shook, Marinette found the emergency candle her father always insisted she kept in a drawer and lit it without taking her eyes away from the green ones that felt so bewitching. The light exposed the figure that stood before her and she couldn't help a gasp escaping her. Standing there was a young man about her age who was just taller than her and was dressed from head to toe in sleek black leather that was cut to perfectly embrace every curve of his body. His messy hair was golden and tousled like fingers had been run through it with black cat ears buried on top and half of his face was covered by a black mask from which his green eyes stared. His mouth was curled in a small cheeky smile that made something in her stomach flip and she could already feel her cheeks burning.

"Who…who are you?"

"Your knight in shining armour princess." He said before dropping to one knee and taking her hand in his. He kissed her fingers gently, his lips soft like a cat's muzzle, before he scooped the rose up from the floor and presented it with a flourish. "Chat Noir, greatest trickster in all of Paris, at your service. May I just say, it is an absolute purr-leasure to meet you at long last. You are far more lovely in the light than in the dark."

"C-chat Noir?" She stammered, hardly daring to believe this was real and not a strange dream her tired mind had conjured up. She pinched her arm hard and when she felt the pain she had to remind herself to speak. "The cat burglar?"

"I object to that a little bit." He said as he stood up. "I admit I take things from people but I never keep them. I only do this for my own amusement." He looked at the little red mark her fingernails had left on her arm and he took the candle from her hand and rested it on the windowsill before examining it, his gloved hands caressing her skin like she was made of china. "You shouldn't hurt yourself princess. I can't bear the idea of you in pain."

"I'm sorry," She said, unable to stop herself even though she wasn't sure why she was apologising. "It's just…it is not every day you find an infamous thief is leaving you roses." She looked down at the rose he had put in her hand and stroked its petals lovingly. This one was one of the most beautiful she had seen, just in bloom with crimson petals each almost the size of her palm.

"So you liked them then?" She heard him say and she smiled at the eagerness that slipped into his sensual voice.

"I loved them." She told him truthfully and she saw a bright smile light up his features. "You must have gone to a lot of effort for them."

"No effort is too big for you," He said and she felt her face blushing again. "I would have gone to the ends of the Earth to get them for you princess."

She giggled at that, a sound that seemed to burst with life that made his grin grow wider. "You know, you can call me Marinette if you want. It is my name after all."

"But princess suits you so well," He purred again, taking a little step closer to her. She saw his eyebrows wriggle and she felt a bubble of laughter rise in her chest. "I would go as far to say it is purr-fect for you."

She laughed at that, trying to smother the sound with her fingers so her parents wouldn't hear but it didn't work very well. "Those cat puns are terrible!"

"Oh how you wound me!" He clutched his hands to his heart and pouted at her, thinking it would make him look hurt but it actually made him look like a petulant child. She batted him away with her hand and he pretended to fall but she stepped forwards and caught him, her hands against his chest as he found himself leaning into her. Their noses were a finger's breadth from each other's and he was looking deeply into her eyes. He had never seen them this close and he marvelled spellbound at the intensity of their blue colour. He saw how her slender throat moved as she gulped and drew nervously away.

"I'm s-sorry," She said looking down at the floor in embarrassment. "I didn't mean to…"

"Don't worry about it." He said before adding flirtatiously. "In fact, feel free to grab my chest at any time, I won't mind." That made her laugh and shove him playfully away.

"Silly kitty!" She giggled at him before she looked thoughtful. "How did you stop the bell on my window? I was certain I would catch you that way."

"And you did, didn't you?" He said suggestively, throwing out is arms as if to display himself proudly which made her raise an eyebrow. "I heard it ringing when I opened the window and I jammed it with a scrap of cloth that was on your windowsill." She spun around and saw that, exactly like he said, there was a piece of crumpled red fabric sticking out from it that she carefully removed and smoothed out. She couldn't afford to waste material if she didn't want to be suspicious. "What I wasn't expecting was the second bell on the floor. You really are a crafty one princess."

"Thank you," she replied with a smile. "My original plan was to try and get my hands on a camera. I figured you would enjoy that."

"Those things are over-rated." He said, feeling a little pang of panic. Was she hinting that she suspected something about him?

"Strange, you don't strike me as shy." She said with a cheeky smile of her own. "Though I get what you mean. I don't usually want my photo taken either."

"Really? But you're so beautiful." He sounded genuinely surprised and she blushed again.

"I would rather my clothes got the attention than me." She sighed. "I love designing clothes, I would love to see them in a catalogue being modelled. It's all so new and exciting, these models are really leading the way and starting to become famous on their own and the designers are also…"

He saw the faraway look in her eyes and smiled when he saw her passion, no matter how close to home she was getting. It was almost the same thing his father had told him when he had started modelling his father's designs in his catalogues and people had started to recognise him. He had called it a new frontier of fashion and Adrien had hoped it would bring him closer to his father but all it had done was make them more distant and gained him unwanted attention from the society beauties that poured over those kind of things and found it a novelty.

He looked out at the window and was shocked to see that half the sky was already pale pink like the walls of her bedroom. He hadn't realised how much time had passed. Following his gaze, Marinette also looked out of the window and gasped. She could hear cluttering sounds from downstairs as the bakery started to awaken and she knew any minute her father would be calling her to get up.

"Chat you have to go!" She squeaked but found he was already perched on the windowsill next to her and was opening the window, about to leap out but he hesitated.

"Will I see you tomorrow night?" He asked hopefully, his hand on the latch. He didn't see the way her eyes went wide in panic and how her voice went slightly higher as she came up with an excuse.

"I won't be there," She said. "We…have a big order in the bakery that we have to make and I will have to stay up all night to help with it. But after that, yes…I'll be waiting for you."

She realised how that sounded and she went red again. He laughed and his hand brushed some of her hair behind her ear. The little touch made her shiver and lean a little into his hand before she realised what she was doing. Was she going insane?

"I'll be counting the hours." He murmured as he reluctantly took his hand away and then his cheeky smile returned. "Until then, may this knight have a favour from his princess?"

"Who said you were my knight?" She snorted but her eyes scanned the room for something small she could give him. "Hey, I have an idea." She reached over to the window and untied the little golden bell that was there before she attached it to the front of his cat suit just below his chin. "Now when you come in, I'll hear you and wake up."

"That is a good idea," He purred in admiration. "After all, it would be a catastrophe if you didn't get to see me."

"Enough with the puns!" She sighed as she shook her head at his grinning face. "Also, take this." She handed him the piece of red fabric. "Just as a little thing."

"Nothing from you if ever little, my princess," He said as he took it gently and tucked it into his front so it lay over his heart. "I will treasure it always."

"You really are a silly kitty." She smiled but when she looked up into his eyes again she saw how much he meant it. All of a sudden, she felt like the air had been sucked from the room as he bent his head gently towards her and she began to do the same…

"Marinette!" The jolly voice of her father came from downstairs, causing her to jump and turn towards the trapdoor. "It's time to get up! We're going to have a busy day today!"

"Coming Papa!" She shouted back. She spun back around to the window but it was already closed and Chat Noir was nowhere to be seen. He had vanished completely and the only evidence that he had been there was the red rose still in her hand and the missing bell on the window.

She sniffed the flower and the aroma of rose was all the sweeter now she knew who he was. Who would have thought she was being courted by an infamous trickster? She thought and the idea thrilled her. She went to go and put the rose in the vase with the others and took a moment to hold her face close to them, the soft petals brushing her skin the way his fingers had. She then went downstairs, readying herself for a busy day with a smile on her face.

She didn't hear the way Chat Noir whooped as he sailed through the air to get back home before the city woke up, feeling drunk on the happiness that was shooting through his body. He had met her! She loved his roses! She had liked him! The excitement he felt came out in his cries that mingled with the ringing of her bell, her favour to him, as he cheered to the sky with the biggest smile on his face. How he hadn't woken up Paris with his rejoicing, he would never know but in that one blissful moment, he hadn't cared. He had met his princess.


	5. Chapter 5

_Hey again! Sorry this took a while, I've been weighed down with so much work but I'm writing as fast as I can. I'm also sorry about the dumb little half sentence thing at the end of the last chapter, I was so cross that I didn't spot that and it was up for a few days so my sincerest apologies for my dumb editing. Shoutout to Kestra EchoWolf for the line I hope you don't mind that I used it. Also to afellowjedi-that song gave me serious goosebumps, it was great! And to Cabbit and the Weasel I thank you deeply for the advice, it was so helpful and I'm going to keep it in mind for the rest of this._

 _Anyways, onwards with the story!_

As Adrien swooped back into his bedroom, flipping in the air with ecstasy through the large window, he knew he didn't have much time left. The sky was mostly light now and the sun was chasing away the last of the long shadows. Any minute now, Natalie would be calling him to get changed for breakfast and he didn't want to be late as that would be reported back to his father faster than he could come up with an excuse.

He wrestled his way out of his black leather cat suit, finding it a struggle as it clung to his skin like it didn't want to let him go. I know my friend, he felt like reassuring it, I don't want to either. Everything seems better when I wear you. Great I'm talking to a cat suit, I must be mad now, he thought but he was still too happy to care.

He freed his last limb from its clutches and went to his wardrobe, opening the door and spilling light onto its colourful contents. He wasn't interested in that though as he sifted through the hems of all the clothes he owned, his hand feeling around in the darkness for the loose plank at the back that covered a little opening in the wall. He had discovered the little hiding spot when he was tiny but had only started using it to its full effect when he became Chat Noir, using it as the best spot to hide his uniform. He didn't have many secrets in this house but this was one of his dearest and one he guarded preciously.

His finger caught the edge of the plank and he pulled it away before stuffing the cat suit in, pausing for only a few seconds to hold the golden bell in the palm of his hand. He remembered her tying it and how her fingers had brushed his skin for a moment and he smiled. He had been so scared that she wouldn't like him or that once she found out who was leaving the roses she would report him to the police but she had taken it all in her stride. She really was amazing, he thought, taking out the little scrap of silky fabric from the lump of black leather that was half-in, half-out of the hole. He held it to his nose and breathed in. It still smelt faintly of her, of freshly baked cookies and roses.

As he closed up the hole with the leather all firmly tucked in, he heard a noise and jumped up startled but laughed when he saw it was only his cat Plagg. He had leapt from his curled up position on Adrien's bed to the floor and was now slinking over to him with his head up expectantly. Adrien crouched again to tickle the sleek Siamese behind the ears and the cat's wide blue eyes closed in pleasure as he purred. Plagg had come from a litter of prize-winning kittens and was a species that had only arrived in Europe a few years before and he seemed to be fully aware of that fact, strutting around the large Agreste mansion like a little prince and Adrien was only too happy to indulge him. He knew he spoiled his cat rotten and even got him his favourite Camembert from the kitchens but Plagg always paid him back with the company and comfort he gave him. Even though he could be lazy and fussy, he would always curl up on Adrien when he was depressed and he knew he was just a softy at heart, despite what Plagg wanted him to think.

He ran his hands through his soft creamy fur and felt his velvety black face head-butt his hand as he purred. "I met a girl last night Plagg," He whispered and the cat looked up at him like he wanted to know more. "She's incredible; she's beautiful, smart, funny…I bet even you would like her." Plagg gave an indignant mewl that made Adrien laugh. "Hungry already?" He asked as he mewled again more determinedly. "Hold on, I'll see what I can-"

"Adrien?" Natalie's voice suddenly called from the other side of his bedroom door. "Are you up?"

"Y-yes!" He called out, scrambling over to his perfectly made bed to mess it up and grab his nightshirt. "I'm just about to get ready!"

"Well do it quickly!" Came the huffy reply. "Your father wants to see you as soon as possible."

My father? Adrien thought in confusion as he dropped his nightshirt crumpled up on the bed and went to change into some other clothes. That was strange. He had a very strict routine and his father never interrupted it unless there was something very wrong. He had a sickening thought that made him gulp as he pulled on a simple white shirt. Does he know I'm Chat Noir? As somebody seen me sneaking out? Am I going to be locked in? Will I get to see Marinette again?

The last thought made him feel numb to the core and he had to grip the wardrobe door to steady himself. He looked down and saw Plagg was sitting at his feet looking up at him with his tail swishing. Adrien frowned down at him as he gave another long mewl.

"Cheese will have to wait Plagg, this is more serious." He told him as Natalie knocked on the door again impatiently. "I won't be long, I hope."

He heard Plagg's pattering footsteps as he followed him to the door like he wanted to see him out so he could get more sleep. He opened it to see Natalie standing there, her hand already raised ready to knock again. She looked like her usual self with not even a hair out of place but he could tell by the twitching of her mouth that she was ruffled by this sudden change. With a small nod at him, she spun around and led him down the corridor. He could tell after a few steps that they were heading for his father's office and that made him feel worse. If he was setting foot in his father's office, that meant something was very seriously wrong.

They reached the tall wooden doors that were marked with his father's initials all too quickly and Natalie stood aside to let him knock. He did so tentatively, his mind still swirling with a random jumble of thoughts, most of them concerned with Marinette. If he was forbidden to go out ever again, he wouldn't be able to return. She would think he had forgotten her or worse, that he didn't like her…the thought of her hating him made his stomach turn and when a voice from inside called him in, he had to fight to push the door and walk in.

Gabriel Agreste liked things in a very particular way and that was clearly shown in the layout of his office. The place was kept dark with the only light coming through a round window in the ceiling which created a pool of blue light in the centre of the room where a desk sat. Around it the carpet was midnight blue and decorated with a white pattern that reminded Adrien of moving white butterflies. The dark walls were bare and there was no other furniture in the room except the chair that Gabriel sat upright in, his papers covered in drawings of his latest designs spread out across the desk in an organised chaos. The room had the feel of an observatory and Adrien had wondered if his father used it just so he could look up and see the night sky sprawled out above him like a veil. He liked to imagine that his father had brought his mother up here so they could admire the beauty in silence. It was the kind of thing he would do. Gabriel was famed for being an admirer of all things beautiful.

Adrien gazed around the room for a second before he looked at his father who was sitting at his desk with his arms crossed and his eyes cold. He was a thin pointed man with upright hair that was a slighter darker shade of blonde than his son's and steely blue eyes behind round dark-rimmed spectacles. His cream suit was impeccably crisp and cleanly lined and not even a wrinkle on his red and white striped cravat was out of place. His mouth was cut in a frowning line as he fixed his glare on his nervous son and then on Natalie when she followed him into the room, the door closing behind her with a bang that echoed through the silent room.

At first there was silence as each side waited for the other to speak. It was Adrien who succumbed first, unable to bear the tension any longer.

"Good morning Father. You wanted to speak with me?"

"Yes I did." Gabriel uncurled his arms and addressed him firmly. "Adrien, what where you doing yesterday?"

"Y-yesterday?" Adrien spluttered a little, his mind racing as, in his panic, he forgot everything he did. "Well err…I was at a photoshoot the whole day, one for your latest collection. Natalie was there as well…"

"I'm fully aware of that." Gabriel's voice cut in sharply. He sounded irritated, like he had failed some test. "Where else did you go?"

"W-where else?" Adrien's body felt frozen as his father got to his feet and stared straight past him at Natalie.

"Did you really think I wouldn't find out about it?" He said crossly. "Honestly you both should have known better…"

Adrien closed his eyes, waiting for the verbal blow that he was never going to be let out ever again but the next words he spoke made them flutter open again.

"…taking him to a bakery and giving him food without telling me? The coach driver told me and I'm surprised at you Natalie. Adrien has a very strict diet, the last thing he needs is any form of cake and they are restricted for a reason. This kind of thing is going against my rules and you know that."

"Sir, I thought…" He could hear the panic in Natalie's voice and he felt sorry for her. She had only been trying to do something nice for him and now she was struck down by Gabriel's coldly furious eyes on her. "It would be something nice for him, maybe he…"

"I'm the one who decides what is best for my son!" Gabriel finally snapped, his voice seeming to thunder in the claustrophobic atmosphere of the office. Adrien and Natalie both halted and for a moment it felt like time had frozen them there. Then Gabriel sat back down and folded his fingers together. "And I have decided that if you have time for these kinds of escapades, you have too much time on your hands Adrien. I will seek to find some more jobs for you and you can take him to each one Natalie, as well as your regular duties around the house." He leaned back in his chair as the news sunk in for them both. More modelling? Adrien blanched at the thought. How many more could he fit in?

"Father I-"

"That's enough from you both." Gabriel looked back at his son and frowned. "You should have told me from the start Adrien. One thing I despise is dishonesty and I don't expect that kind of foolishness from you. You will not be going to this bakery again."

Adrien bowed his head, unable to take the look in his eyes any longer. "Yes Father."

"Good. Both of you are dismissed."

Natalie lead him from the room and he didn't glance backwards. Natalie went to take him to breakfast but he walked back to his room instead as he was feeling far from hungry. He closed the door shut behind him and then went to flop on his bed, burying his face in the covers. How was it that when his father was treating him like he was so valuable, he felt so insignificant? He was like a dandelion seed blowing around in the wind, he had no control over his own life. And now he had more modelling to do…

He felt something soft and warm pressing against the side of his head and turned to see Plagg was rubbing himself against his ear whilst mewling loudly. "Sorry, am I in your bed?" Adrien had to smile as he went to stroke him. "Or do you just want cheese?"

Plagg yowled as he settled down in the nest of crumpled sheets and Adrien lay there stroking him as the cat leaned into his touch. It's not all bad, he told himself as patches of sunlight streamed across the bed. Nobody knows you're Chat Noir and you can still go see Marinette. Yes, he thought, his smile growing wider. I can still see Marinette.

The night after, Marinette was sat by her window waiting. Her eyes keenly scanned the dark sky for any sign of a cat-like figure leaping about on the nearby rooves but nothing had appeared yet. Her fingers drummed on the windowsill as she idly stared up at the bright stars that were lighting up the sky. She was still a little weary from the night before but she knew she wouldn't sleep; she had had butterflies in her stomach all day. Just thinking of her late night visitor sent a little thrill through her and even her parents had noticed she had been more distracted that day after she had knocked over the same mixing bowl three times. Now the moment was drawing nearer and she would see him again.

She wasn't sure what it was about him that had captured her so much. Ever since that first rose had appeared she had been intrigued and now that she had finally met him, she hadn't been able to keep him or his smile from her mind. Maybe it was the excitement (how many other girls had a famous trickster leaving them roses?) or his daring or maybe it was just the way she felt like melting whenever he called her…

"Princess?"

She was shaken from her thoughts by a head dropping in front of the window, one with golden fluffy hair and a white upside-down smile. She scrambled for the latch and yanked it open, laughing at the way he was dangling from the roof ledge, swinging gently to and fro as he held on.

"Chat, what are you doing?" She giggled as he attempted to swing down gracefully but ended up missing his footing and crashed into the room, landing on the floor in a heap. Marinette was almost bent over laughing and had to press her hands to her mouth to stop the sound travelling downstairs. "I thought cats were meant to land on their feet."

"I guess I'm just falling for you." He looked up at her with a grin and she groaned at him with a little smile of her own. "Can you blame me when I'm being blinded by such beauty?"

"Silly kitty." She shook her head as she held out a hand to pull him upright but he could see how she was blushing and how she was fighting to suppress a big smile. It was so cute how she was being so modest; a lot of the society girls he met practically begged for compliments for everything about them but not her. "What have you got there?"

"A surprise." She was expecting him to whisk out another rose but instead he held up a piece of black material. She looked at it and raised her eyebrow at him.

"Chat, what are you planning?"

"Nothing like that!" His cheeks went red as he realised what she had been thinking and she laughed again at how mortified he looked. Teasing him was so fun. "I have something to show you and I didn't want to spoil the surprise."

"You're taking me outside?" She looked between him and the still open window. Surely it would be inappropriate for a young woman to be out this late with a man but then again, it was also kind of inappropriate for him to be there in the first place…

"Why not?" he asked before he saw her discomfort and put his hand on her shoulder, making her look up into his deep green eyes. "Don't worry, I'll have you back before daybreak. Nobody will see us, I promise. Cats honour." He held up his hand like he was making an oath and she had to giggle again at how comical he made it look.

"Alright then. But just this once, promise?"

"Promise." She let him tie the blindfold over her closed eyes, his fingers tenderly smoothing her hair out of the way as he let it run through his fingers like water. He then stepped in front of her so she could cling onto his back, gathering her skirts around her legs to spare her dignity as he helped her up so it felt like he was giving her a piggy-back ride.

"Ready princess?" He said and she nodded into his mop of golden hair. She gripped him tightly as he suddenly set off, jumping from the window and heavily landing before he started to run on all-fours, springing from one place to another just like a real cat would. She squealed and held on tighter, all embarrassment gone now that she was too scared of falling off. With her eyes covered she focused instead of the feel of the journey, on every judder and pounce his body made, how she could sense every muscle movement. His hair felt tickly on her face but she didn't move her head. He smelt really clean but also a little bit of leather and some sort of cheese. She quite liked it, it smelt warm and safe.

"We're here!" Chat announced as he came to a stop and straightened up. "Now hold on for just a minute…"

He gently helped her down and guided her in front of him. She felt his hands on her shoulders as he steadied her and then the blindfold fell away from her face.

"OK, you can look now."

She opened her eyes and her mouth fell open at the sight that lay before her. They were standing in the middle of a field with hills rolling all around them, surrounded in every direction with red roses. There were thousands of them, all swaying in the chill of the late night breeze like they were dancing, a moving sea of red petals and their prickly stems reaching for the dark sky. She reached out her hands, half-expecting this to be a beautiful dream and that it would dissolve at her touch but when she smelt their powerful perfume she knew it was all real and she looked around to take in as much as she could.

"Oh my…" She breathed out, her eyes glowing in wonder.

"You like it?" She heard him say hopefully behind her and she was suddenly aware of how close he was standing to her and how his hands hadn't left her shoulders.

"Are you kidding me, I love it!" She squealed excitedly as she turned around and wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug. He looked bewildered for a second before he hugged her back, his face beaming. "Is this the place where you got all those roses from?"

"Yes it is," He answered, loosening his grip so he could see her face but still holding her in his arms. "I went through and hand-picked the best ones for you though. And don't worry, I don't steal them-I leave some francs behind whenever I pick one in a place where the owner will find it. He's a very superstitious guy, I'm sure he thinks I'm some sort of fairy."

"Oh Chat." She giggled at him before she looked back over the landscape in awe. "This place is so beautiful. I can't think of anything better."

"You know what's better than standing on top of a hill?" Chat Noir said, giving her a devious smile. "Rolling down the hill!"

"Chat no, wait, stop-" Marinette's pleas fell on deaf ears as he pulled her against his chest and plunged down the hill. He let out a loud cheer as they hurdled down the hill and she screamed as they picked up speed, the world around her whirling in a dizzying mix of colours. The flowers pecked at her as they bumped against each other, him holding her face between his gloves. She could hear him laughing as they reached the bottom and she found she was giggling too so when they slowed to a halt, they collapsed in laughter.

"Don't you ever do that to me again!" She scolded him breathlessly as she lay on the ground, her head still spinning as she laughed.

"Sorry princess." Chat groaned as he pulled himself upwards only to find he was nose to nose with her. His face was scattered with little scratches and she realised that was why he had held her face, to protect it from the thorns. His body was pinning her to the ground and they suddenly froze there like they were under a spell. She could feel her chest heaving with the effort of getting her breath back and she could feel the warmth fluttering of his own on her cheeks. For a moment, all they could do was stare, then he lowered his head and suddenly his lips were on hers.

For a second she almost recoiled in shock but then she let her eyes close and kissed him back, her hands trailing to his cheeks as she pulled him closer. He stroked her hair as he angled his head and she felt his head jerk as her thumbs traced the scratches on his face but he didn't draw away. The heady smell of the roses all around them was intoxicating and in that moment it felt like the world came to a standstill and they only things moving were him, her, the bed of roses and the approaching daybreak…

Daybreak! "Chat, it's morning!" She broke the kiss and sat up in panic, sending him tumbling off her and only just avoiding banging their heads together. "We have to go!"

"Go…Oh! Yes! Right!" His head was reeling as he looked at her, his lips and face boiling where she had touched. He then looked up at the sky and its bright yellow colour shocked him back to reality. "Grab on!"

He ran back as fast as he could, his limbs burning like fire as he pushed them to the limit but his mind still felt foggy. Had that really happened? Had they really kissed? He tracked the waking sun across the sky and grinned to himself. If that was a dream, don't wake me up, he begged it, please let me have this…

By the time they got back to her window the sun was already up in the sky and Marinette looked at it worriedly. "Are you going to be alright Chat?" she asked him as he put her down and hovered at her window. "I wouldn't want you to get spotted…"

"I'll be fine princess." He told her reassuringly, tucking her loose hair behind her ears. He knew he had to leave but now he wasn't sure he would even be able to pull his hand away. "You don't need to worry about me. I'm just a street cat." He chuckled a little bit she didn't laugh back.

"I can't help it though." She said as she leant over and placed a light kiss on his cheek, her lips skimming over the little red dashes on his skin. "And you mean much more than that to me." Her face suddenly went red and she gulped when she realised what she had just done. "Now go quickly!"

She turned away and heard the window close behind her, the latch falling back into place with a click. She closed her eyes and hugged herself with a suppressed squeal as all the memories of the night flashed before her. I must remember everything about tonight, every single little detail, she told herself. She didn't want to forget a second of it.

She opened her eyes and gasped in horror as she looked down at herself. She had been so captivated and distracted by everything that she hadn't noticed the rose thorns had torn her nightdress. The white material was dotted with holes, some small but some indecently huge. She could hear movement downstairs and she gulped loudly. How was she possibly going to explain this…?


	6. Chapter 6

_Oh my god this is so late! I'm sorry, I was hoping it would be up earlier than this but I have had so much work to finish off over the past few days that I never got around to finishing this off until now. Hopefully this will be worth the wait for you all. Thanks to everyone for putting up with me and giving me lovely reviews. Please enjoy this next chapter!_

For the next few nights, Adrien lived to be Chat Noir. Every night without fail, he would appear outside Marinette's window and he always found, to his delight, that she would be up waiting for him. She was usually doing something like drawing or sewing (though now she never let him see what she was working on) but sometimes she would just be at the window gazing at the stars as she looked out for a sign of him. He would always spot her before she spotted him and seeing her face lit up by moonlight as she looked out for him always made him pause for a minute in awe. There was still a part of him that couldn't believe she actually liked him, the part that always felt so insecure but it was always soothed by the smile she would give him when he did appear to her even if only for a little while.

The first night after the night of the kiss, as he referred to it, had not been a good visit. When Marinette had opened the window for him, he had winced when he had stepped down from her windowsill and then staggered to her chaise longue before collapsing and clutching his side. Marinette had instantly gone to him in a state of panic as he groaned in pain.

"Chat Noir! What's wrong, what happened to you?! Let me see!"

"It's…it's nothing…" He had tried to tell her as he attempted to push her hands away but she had already determinedly pulled away the black leather and gasped at what she saw there. Several long thin bruises like razor clam shells coloured in purple marked his skin, edged with pink as they were still forming. He winced when he saw her face and turned away unable to look her in her eyes which slowly grew angrier as she stared at them.

"Chat who did this to you? What happened?" She demanded as she took his face in her hands and forced him to look at her. "Tell me!"

"It…was my father." He had finally said, a feeling of betrayal snaking through his insides. "He saw the scratches on my face this morning and he got so mad, he thought I was trying to sabotage his plans for me so he got out his cane…he did it to my side so nobody would see it under my clothes."

"He beat you over those?" She said, horrified as she took a look at the needle-thin lines on his face that were barely noticeable. Although she knew many parents did beat their children, her own had never done that to her and as she looked at his face which was twisted in pain, she felt sick at the thought of somebody laying their hands on him. "That is awful, what kind of father is he? If I could see him now…"

"No!" He cried out, making her stop in her tracks. "You can't ever see him. If he found out I had been here, he would never let me out again Marinette. He keeps me under his control enough, he rarely ever lets me out and I can't bear the thought of not seeing you. If you try and find who he is…"

"I won't." She said quietly but firmly. He could see that she was still fuming with anger but her hands were gentle as she examined his side. Although she wouldn't admit it, the idea of never seeing him again was one that filled her with dread. She also realised that a good deal of his chest was exposed and she kept her head down to try and avert her eyes but it wasn't working. "But no more outings like the one last night, alright? If you got hurt again because of me, I would never forgive myself."

"Yes princess." He agreed meekly before smiling at her to get her to cheer up as she started to tend to him. "But it was all worth it, you know."

She had stopped and given him a furious look at that, one that made his smile slide off of his face. "Don't you ever say that again!" She had lowly hissed, tears brimming in her eyes that she angrily wiped away before he saw them. "Don't you dare say that it was worth you getting hurt, you stupid stupid cat!"

She had then forced her head down and he had kept silent as she had looked over him, privately enjoying the feeling of her fingers on his skin even if it was sore and made him flinch. "Well I was scared for a minute that he had broken something…but it appears your ribs are all there," She finally said sounding a little calmer. "But you are not moving until sunrise. What were you thinking coming all the way across Paris like that?"

"I wanted to see you princess." He had replied honestly and she couldn't help but soften a little.

"Just don't do it again." She had told him as she laid down to stop him moving. She had tickled his floppy cat ears and giggled when he loudly purred and cuddled her closer which she didn't struggle against. "Silly kitty."

They had stayed there all night and he had left feeling a lot better even if his side continued to plague him on the way home and for the rest of that day whilst he modelled. After that, they varied how they spent their stolen nights together neither wanting to waste a moment now they knew how precious the time was. Sometimes they would talk as she sewed or mended clothes and bakery aprons (the nightdress had taken her a solid week and she admitted to him that she had had to sneakily borrow one of her mothers in the meantime to stop her parents suspecting), discussing anything that came into their heads. Adrien had always been quiet at home and normally he felt shy when he was around other people but with her encouraging him, he forgot all of that and there were nights when he left with a dry throat sore from talking and laughing. Other nights when they were each too tired for talking, they would curl up and doze, enjoying the warmth from each other's bodies and feeling soothed by the rhythm of their breathing. It was nights like all those that Adrien found he loved, where it felt like it was just him and her in the whole world and they could both forget that they could so easily be snatched away.

There was only one thing that troubled him about her, the one thing he couldn't fathom about his princess. He knew she was keeping a secret from him. Every so often, as he left in the early morning he would ask hopefully "Tomorrow?" and he would be answered with a shake of her head and an excuse. They were often simple things like she was needed to help with a big order or she just needed some sleep as she knew the next day would be busy but what she didn't know was one night he had visited her room and found the window was open but it was empty with no sign of her. The house had also been silent; there was no late night baking to be seen. Adrien had often wondered what she was up to on those random nights where she would disappear as he laid in his bed that now felt so cold, giving most of the space to Plagg who had taken over it whilst he had been gone and didn't want to give it up even when he was there. He didn't want it to but it kept getting to him like a wound he couldn't stop picking at. As the scratches and bruises faded, he spent more and more time at his countless photoshoots wishing he was with her. He didn't know how long their situation could go on for-what would happen if she went away? What if his father tried to make him marry one of the giddy society girls? He tried to but he couldn't think of a way for them to be together without anyone knowing he was Chat Noir. He had wondered about running away but he was too famous and he knew she would never want to leave; her heart was here in Paris and she didn't even know who he was. Instead they both carried on, waiting for when the tenuous string of time would snap and bring their reckoning crashing down on them both.

"Hmmm." Gabriel Agreste sniffed as his eyes scanned the paper he held out rigidly in front of him. "It says here that there's been no sign of Chat Noir for a few weeks now. There used to be a new prank found every morning but the last one was over a month ago. What do you say to that Adrien? Any ideas about what could have happened to the trickster of Paris?"

"I don't know Father." Adrien gave an uneasy smile and shrugged his shoulders. He was sweating enough under the weight of his heaviest coat, one of his father's designs that was made with dark wool, without his father asking probing questions. He had been on edge with his father ever since the beating and their relationship had deteriorated since, with Adrien feeling like he had to tread carefully around him like he was a loaded cannon. His father reminded him of a dormant volcano, with a calm exterior but something unstable on the inside that could all too easily blow. "Maybe he didn't want to be Chat Noir anymore." He stared out of the window of the carriage as they drew closer to the theatre. His starched winged collar felt like it was strangling him and the green velvet cravat that matched his father's red one felt like a soft noose. He was dressed up in his best shirt and tails but tonight this was the last place he wanted to be. Even though Marinette had told him she would be busy, he still would have preferred being anywhere but here.

"Interesting. I wonder what could have made him change his mind." Gabriel pondered out loud as the carriage ground to a halt with a lurch and the sound of disgruntled horses. Adrien looked away as the knot in his stomach grew tighter. He dug his hand in his pocket and felt the smooth black leather of his mask and cat ears that he had stashed there. He knew it had been a great risk to bring them but it somehow gave him comfort. "Smile Adrien, nobody wants to see that face on you. You should be privileged to be here, I had to pay so much just to see this."

"What is this show that we are going to see Father?" Adrien asked as they were both helped out of the carriage and escorted up the marble steps to the large imposing theatre that was lit up with spotlights. Adrien looked up at it in awe. He had never seen so many electrical lights in one place before, Gabriel had insisted on having them nowhere near the mansion as he claimed their brightness would interfere with his work. "You still haven't told me."

"That is because it is a surprise Adrien." Gabriel said. "Believe me, it will be a surprise for me too. I've heard so much about it and wanted to get my hands on it for ages. It's only now that I'll see if it was worth it all."

They were lead into one of the boxes that overlooked the stage and almost the entire room, the people down below looking like insects as they scuttled to their seats. The whole place was decorated luxuriously with all the wood painted gold and carved to look like leaves and frolicking cherubs and the material all being the same shade of crimson velvet. The room was curved so every eye went to the grand stage that stretched out underneath them with red curtains shielding the surprise that was behind it. As Adrien sat down next to Gabriel he could feel the excitement in the air as it tingled like electricity. People were talking in hushed voices about whatever they were about to see and the sound was like the twittering of birds. Adrien sat up with his back straight as a rod and took a look at his father who was watching the stage intently, his arms crossed like he was waiting to make a judgement on it. He felt like gulping at his expression. If only he had allowed Natalie to come, he thought sadly. She knows how to handle him more than I do.

The lights went out and everybody went silent as the longing sound of a single flute started to play. It sang a few notes that seemed to fill the room with the anticipation it promised before the curtains opened and a single spotlight shone on the stage. A gasp rolled through the audience and Adrien felt his mouth fall open at the sight of the lone figure standing in the light, her arms held above her head and her eyes closed as her face looked skywards. Her face was covered with a red mask ornamented with black spots and her black hair was back in two ponytails. Her exquisite dress was bright red with a tight corset bodice with a sweetheart neckline and straps of red tulle that had been placed elegantly just below her shoulders. Her flowing skirt was also made of layered red tulle that was spotted with black and the hem that swished around her knees was trimmed with black. Her ballet shoes were red and their ribbon ties were wound tightly around her legs like vines. There was a moment of silence where nobody moved or breathed; they were all captured by her. Then slowly, she brought her arms downwards as she rose up on point, the orchestra started to play and she began to dance.

Adrien couldn't take his eyes off her as she moved to the music like it was running through her blood. He was so enraptured he could felt himself lifting from his seat as he leaned forwards, his eyes drinking in every detail, every step. Her every motion seemed to fall in rhythm with his beating heart as she danced, each moment more perfect and beautiful than the last. This must be her, the mysterious Ladybug, he thought. She's even better than they said she was. He tore his eyes away for a moment to look at his father and saw he was just as rapt, staring at her with a smile spreading across his face. It was a smile that made Adrien feel a little uneasy and his gaze returned to Ladybug as she flew across the stage like her feet were winged.

The longer Adrien stared at her, the more he realised she looked familiar. Had he seen her somewhere before? He wondered as she stood in the centre of the stage and span on her toes, her skirt flying around her like a whirlwind. The audience held a breath again as she light-footedly twirled from one foot to the other and the realisation hit him. Wait, hadn't he seen something like that style of dress in those designs of Marinette's? He tried to cast his mind back and remember a few of them. They had all been drawn on a dancer and she had used the same colours of red and black…was that her secret? She was designing dresses for Ladybug?

On the stage, Ladybug span for a final time before she leapt into the air, perfectly landing in the corner of the stage closest to Adrien's box before she sank into a graceful curtsey. The room erupted with applause as people cheered for an encore and threw roses onto the stage. Adrien shot up and clapped until his hands felt sore and he even felt his father stand up next to him.

"She is even more remarkable than I could have possibly imagined." He heard him breathe out and he almost felt a bit of pride. If Marinette made her dress, she might be backstage, maybe I could go and see her, he thought. Then I can tell her how proud I am.

He looked down and saw Ladybug straighten up and smile at the crowd, her movements still as soft and fluid as her dancing. She waved at the crowd, a picture of composure, and then looked up into the box where Adrien was almost leaning over the edge to see her. For a moment their eyes met and it was suddenly like the world came to a standstill, like everything had slowed down long enough for him to register the bright blueness of the eyes that gleamed from the other side of her mask.

Marinette.

It had to be.

It couldn't be.

Yet those were unmistakably her eyes. How long had he spent staring into them, dreaming of them, watching them when she was focused on something else and seeing how they flickered and lit up? He knew every detail of her eyes and now they were staring back at him from a red and black mask. They flashed as she looked up at him and for a second he wondered if she had noticed his too but then why would she? Marinette had never seen him without a mask…

She turned around and left the stage as quickly as she had arrived and the lights came back on in the theatre. The hum of voices from the audience returned even more excited than before as they talked about the performance they had just witnessed. Behind him, he heard his father discussing something with somebody in a low voice but he couldn't concentrate on the words. All he could do was look at the spot where she had been standing as the curtain fell back across the stage with a heavy thump. He had to go see her, how could he not after this? Now that he knew her secret, that she was the Ladybug that was sweeping across Paris and making a sensation, maybe he could reveal his too. The question is, how could he get to her?

He turned around and saw his father had moved into the corner of the box still talking, his words getting faster and angrier. He was so incensed about whatever he was discussing, he didn't notice Adrien slip out and dash down the thin corridor in the direction of the stage. He first came to the downstairs lobby where a crowd of people were trying to force their way out of the room and he was nearly swept away by the bustle but then he saw a door marked Backstage-Performers Only and he made a grab for the heavy knocker. He yanked it opened and ran in, slamming it behind him and leaning against it with a relieved sigh. Now he was in, all he had to do was find Ladybug.

Backstage, the theatre seemed like an entirely different place. All the luxurious trimmings were gone and the bare passage was bordered with haphazard wooden planks and dust hung in great clouds in the air, almost giving it a beige sheen. There was shouting coming from above him and he treaded carefully, not sure if there was a floor below and he didn't want to find out. He walked further into the shadowy passage that had dozens of little rooms that split away and he despaired as most of them seemed empty of life, instead filled with costumes or props abandoned from previous shows. How was he going to find her in this maze?

Suddenly he heard a small noise from behind him and he looked around, expecting to see some burly stagehand about to drag him back to his father. What was actually sitting in the middle of the passage like she owned it was a ginger tabby cat flecked with white. She had a little pink nose like a berry, spotted ears that flopped over at the corners and wide green eyes that blinked at him suspiciously. He froze in position as she mewled again, looking around to see if anybody else had been alerted.

"Shoo, shoo, go away." He quietly urged the cat but she stayed there, still stubbornly staring at him like she was judging him for trespassing. "Please, I'm trying to find Ladybug." Why was he talking to the cat like she could help? He really was going mad.

The cat mewled again and got to her feet and he braced himself for her to sink her claws into him but instead she brushed past him like he was an item of furniture, her fluffy tail briefly curling around him as she confidently trotted past. She sauntered to the end of the passageway before she looked back at him. She wants me to follow, he thought and he started to edge back down the corridor, keeping his eyes firmly on her tail as it flicked around like an annoyed feather duster.

After they had been walking for a few minutes, his eyes caught sight of a break of light ahead of him and he rose his head to look. Just a few steps in front of him was a door that was slightly open and letting some gentle light out and he could hear a soft humming from inside that sounded like the tune the orchestra had just been playing. The cat gave him one last look and then entered the room. He heard her loudly purring and the humming stopped with a squeal of delight.

"Tikki! There you are, I thought I had missed you." He heard her voice say delightedly and his heart jolted as it sounded so much like Marinette. There was no doubting it was her now. "Did you miss me girl? Am I the only one here you gives you tummy rubs?"

He heard the purring get louder as she cooed over the cat before there was a light thud as something landed on the ground. "Tikki?" Marinette's confused voice rang in his ears and there was a pause before the cat's head poked around the door and mewled again whilst looking straight at Adrien.

"Tikki, what's going-Oh!" The door opened and she was standing there, her mouth open in a little ring as their eyes met and they each stopped moving. She was still in her Ladybug dress and up close he could see how well it had been made, there wasn't even a stich out of place. She must have spent hours on it. Her hair was undone and it was flowing past her shoulder in long waves caused by being tied up for so long so it looked how it did when she had just gotten out of bed. Her fringe had fallen in front of her mask and she retained enough of her senses to brush them away before she spoke.

"Hello."

"H-hello." He answered awkwardly, his limbs still feeling stiff. Why couldn't he move, why couldn't he be smooth like Chat Noir was? He felt like a blubbering mess inside and a little of it must have shown on his face as she looked concerned.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes! I'm great!" He blurted out as he finally straightened up. "I'm sorry, I just…can't believe I'm actually meeting you. You were amazing tonight, truly magical and I just wanted to tell you that. I'm sorry if I intruded."

"Oh. Thank you." Two spots of pink appeared under her mask and she gave him a smile. "That's so nice to hear. Usually I don't hear it from people's mouths, I hear it in the papers. And don't be, I wasn't doing anything."

The cat seemed pleased at this new turn of events and she leapt up into her arms, Ladybug only just catching her securely. She then sat there like it was her natural place, purring loudly as if she were satisfied. Adrien reached out a hand and stroked her behind the ears, making the purr increase in volume so she sounded like the puffing of a steam engine. He laughed at how the cat warmed to him and she giggled too.

"Is she yours? She seems to really like you." He said as Tikki rubbed her head against his hand.

"No, Tikki's the theatre cat though I do wish I could take her home with me." She replied as she rocked the cat like she was a baby. "I think she likes me because I bring her food and fuss her more than the other people here do. Strangely enough, she really has a craving for cookies. I would never have thought that of a cat."

"Same here, I sometimes think my cat loves Camembert cheese more than me. He has funny eating habits too." He heard how she giggled again at that and he felt like his heart couldn't take it. "By the way, I'm Adrien, Adrien Agreste."

"It's a pleasure to meet you Adrien." She smiled warmly. "As in the designer Gabriel Agreste?"

"Err yes." Adrien said, his heart sinking a little at the mention of his father's name. He would not be happy if he found out I was down here. "I'm his son. I model for his fashion catalogues too."

"Oh wow," She said sounding genuinely impressed. "You know, I had thought I had seen you somewhere before but I couldn't think where. That sounds amazing, though I'm not surprised by the look of you."

He could feel her glance sweeping his body and his mouth went dry. "Well err…um…err…thank you, I am amazing, no I mean it's as in the job is amazing… oh no, sorry that went so wrong." His hand had instinctively gone to his pocket and now his fingers were crushing his black mask. What was he saying? He had to say something else before he died of embarrassment.

"It does sound it." She laughed and he almost felt glad he had messed up just to hear that sound.

"You know, that dress could easily be in a catalogue." He said, gesturing to the red skirt that was as light as cloud.

"Really?" She said excitedly as she ran a hand over it, dropping Tikki in the process who sat by her feet with a cross look, and he could hear Marinette's squeak in her voice. "You think so?"

"Of course I do, look at it, it's so well-made." He replied enthusiastically as she gave a little spin that sent the skirt flying out. He noticed that the layers had been cut in big circular sections so they were layered like rose petals and he had to suppress a grin. "Where did you get it?"

"I made it," She told him proudly. "With my own two hands."

She held them out proudly and turned them over to show him. He could see tiny cuts made by needles as she had sewn, the marks of her hard labour. "I can see." He said before he took one of her hands and pressed it to his lips. Her skin was warm and he let them linger there for a while before he lost his sudden surge of confidence and let them go. He looked up into her eyes and saw how they were wide in surprise but she didn't look angry as she then smiled.

"I'm s-sorry, I shouldn't have…" He started to stammer but her hand took his chin and gently closed his mouth before she brought him upright, straightening his back so they were once again looking in each other's eyes. Once again the world was still and it all seemed to be centred in her pure blue eyes.

"Adrien…" She started to say before Tikki suddenly let out a hiss next to her, all her orange hairs standing up on end. Ladybug looked at the door and let out a shocked gasp and Adrien spun around to see who was blocking the passage.

The appearance of the man standing there with a wide cunning grin on his face sent a shudder through him. He was tall and thin with a steel grey mask covering his entire head except for his mouth and his cold blue eyes that gleamed in an almost metallic way. He was wearing a suit of dark purple with a black shirt underneath and on his black cravat was an elaborate shimmering pin made to look like razor sharp butterfly wings. In his hands he was holding a short stubby wooden cane with an orb of purple of one end that he was rolling through his fingers with glee as he stared greedily at Ladybug whose face had gone pale and she was backing into her room whilst shaking her head. Adrien stepped back in horror as the man leered closer to her, barely believing that it was real. This man was the terror of Paris, the ruthless Hawkmoth and he had found his new prey.

"It is a pleasure to meet you in person at last, my dear Ladybug," He addressed her in a smooth drawl that felt like slime was being poured into Adrien's ears. "I know you have been ignoring my messages and trying to hide from me so it really is a delight. You really are unique, a talent among talents and you will be the glowing jewel in the crown of the Papillion."

"Never!" She spat at him furiously whilst Tikki lashed out a paw and hissed at him again. "I will never dance for the likes of you! I dance for Paris, not for your sick customers!"

"I don't think you understand." Hawkmoth said, beating his cane into his free hand with a snarl. "You don't get a choice in this matter little bug. You either come or I crush you under my feet like any other insect."

"Leave her alone!" Adrien stepped in front of her and stared back into his icy eyes despite the fear that was gripping his guts like an iron fist. Hawkmoth let out a growl and he could hear her sharp breaths behind him.

"Adrien, no…" She said but he didn't move, spreading his arms out to protect her. Hawkmoth curled his lip and made a disgusted noise.

"You foolish boy," He muttered. "You don't know anything about this. But no matter, I can deal with you later."

He held up his cane and smashed it into the side of Adrien's head, sending shards of broken glass shooting everywhere. Adrien's head fell against the wall and he crumpled to the ground, his head throbbing and his eyesight blurred. He heard Ladybug scream and lash out at Hawkmoth followed by Tikki yowling and leaping at him but then there was a loud thud as something hit the wall and she screamed again. He watched as Hawkmoth grabbed her around her waist and dragged her away as she fought him, crying out his name.

"Adrien!"

"Ladybug…Marinette…" He choked out, trying to reach out his hand after her shadow as her silhouette was pulled away from him and the world went black.


	7. Chapter 7

Adrien groaned as he tried to lift his head up, his vision hazy with pain. He blinked his eyes as the world started to come back but the only colour he could see was a vivid orange that made them water. As his senses came back to him, he could feel something soft rubbing against his face and his ears picked up a desperate mewl. He moved his head with a cough to see Tikki's eyes looking down at him as her paw pressed against his nose. He groaned again at how much his head ached and she sank her claws in, making him hurriedly sit up and nearly lose balance.

"Tikki!" He moaned at the ginger cat, who sat there looking very pleased with herself before she rubbed against his leg urgently. The room still felt like it was spinning to Adrien but his dulled mind was beginning to pick up the pieces of what had just happened. He had been here with Ladybug who it turned out was Marinette, his Marinette but she still didn't know he was Chat Noir… they had been talking then Hawkmoth…Hawkmoth had taken her…he remembered with a jolt what Hawkmoth had wanted to do with her and his mouth filled with bile. He spat it out ungraciously on the wooden floor and smeared the back of his hand across his mouth. He wasn't going to let that happen.

"Tikki, where did they go?" He asked the cat and she turned her head the way he had come from. He wobbly stood up, still a little dazed from being knocked out, and he shook the little sharp bits of luminous purple from his clothes before he felt his way along the wall, letting it take his weight as Tikki trotted beside him encouragingly. As they got further down the passageway, he saw the backstage door had been left wide open and the theatre was now empty. How long had I been unconscious? He thought with his panic rising as he looked down at the cat. They could be clean away by now… Tikki mewled again with urgency and he realised he didn't have any time to waste pondering. He had to get moving.

He moved his hand forwards and he could feel shallow indents in the wood that were thin as hairs. He moved his hand to look at them in the dim light and he felt sick. They were fingernail marks clawed into the wood that made jagged lines that ran in strips of five across the wall. They were hers, he thought, his knees shaking with horror. She must have been clinging to the walls, trying to escape from him… He pounded his own fist against the wall and Tikki leapt back with a hiss, her hair all on end.

"Sorry Tikki." He said, his forehead against the marks in the wall and feeling their imprint on his skin. "What am I going to do? He has her, he's going to do something sick with her, force her to dance at his… what can I do? I'm just Adrien."

He sank to his knees again and felt Tikki nuzzling his side, licking at his hand with her rough sandpaper tongue. "Tikki, get off-" He started to scold the cat before he realised his hand was hovering over his pocket. He delved his hand into it and pulled out his mask and ears that were looking a little bent after spending the evening crushed in his pocket. He stared at them for a moment before he clenched his fist with a new resolve. Maybe Adrien couldn't do anything. But Chat Noir certainly could.

He stood up and tore off his coat and tails, letting them fall to the floor in a heap of material. He then ran into the costume room with Tikki at his heels.

"Right Tikki," He said firmly to the cat, who was purring at him as he pulled the mask over his eyes and felt the familiar sensation of suddenly being confident. "I need something black, any shirt really as long as it is black. And a weapon of some sort…maybe I'll find one in props…"

Meanwhile, across the city at the River Seine, Marinette was exhausted. She had fought against Hawkmoth for the entire way, trying to stall for time, but he had held her strongly and no matter how hard she had kicked and punched him, he hadn't yielded to her attacks. He still held his broken cane in one hand and when she looked at the shattered end, she felt tears in her eyes. What had happened to that sweet boy who had kissed her hand so tenderly and come by the bakery that one time for cookies? She had known she had seen him before but that revelation had come too late. Could something like that kill someone? He hadn't been moving when she had been dragged away and she could feel his strength… She struggled against him some more with her teeth gritted and she heard him chuckle.

"Please my dear, don't make me bind you," He said in her ear, making her recoil from the warmth of his breath on her skin. "I don't want to mark that pretty white skin of yours."

She saw they were approaching their destination and she froze in horror. He was leading her to a canal boat moored on the side of the river. It was painted purple and appeared to be innocently covered in painted white and black butterflies but she knew it would lead her straight into the jaws of the Papillion. The door was open and she could see only darkness inside. If he got her into the depths of that thing, she would never be free again. She cried out and struggled even harder in desperation, lashing out at him with all her might but she was a dancer, not a fighter and he gripped her tighter until she weakened.

"No please, let me go!" She begged him, tears choking at her throat and she hated how pitiful she sounded. He dragged her onto the deck of the boat and kicked away the tangle of thick rope that kept it by the riverbank, leaving it around their feet. It started to drift away from the shoreline, bobbing easily on the calm surface of the Seine which reflected the starry night sky above her as clearly as any mirror. What will happen to me now? She thought as she pushed herself away from the door he was trying to force her into. Will anyone know what happened to me? No they wouldn't do, nobody knows I'm secretly Ladybug… She had to hold in a sob as she thought of her parent's faces when they would realise she wasn't in her bed in the morning. Would they think I ran away? Would it break them? She thought of Chat Noir returning to her windowsill the next night and seeing she wasn't there. Would he think I abandoned him? I couldn't bear that, she thought as it gave her more strength to resist Hawkmoth as he kept trying to ram her inside but she got her hands and feet to either side of the doorframe and managed to hold herself there.

"You foolish insolent girl!" He roared at her and she could feel the spikes of his butterfly pin in her back through her dress. "How dare you defy my plans!"

"Get your hands off of her Hawkmoth!" A voice came from above them and they each stopped and turned around. Standing above them, positioned on the edge of a bridge with a short silver pole clutched in his hand and a furious look on his masked face was Chat Noir. Marinette gasped in joy as her face lit up. He was here and she couldn't believe her eyes. She could see he looked different; instead of black leather, he was in formal black trousers and a black shirt and the belt he was using for a tail looked different, much thicker and about a foot longer than normal, but the mask and ears were the same as were the green eyes that were burning into Hawkmoth as he stared him down. He leapt down from the bridge onto the roof of the boat a few feet from them, his eyes glowing in the dark with their radiant peridot green.

Hawkmoth snarled at him fiercely. "Chat Noir? What are you doing here? I didn't realise you were such a hero." He sneered as he pulled her away from the door and pinned her to him. "Why do you care anyway? She belongs to me."

"No she doesn't!" He said pointing at him with the silver staff he held. "She doesn't belong to anybody! In fact," He suddenly reached into his shirt and pulled out a tiny slip of bright red fabric, the size and colour of a rose petal. "You could almost say I belong to her."

Marinette stared at the scrap of red in shock and her mouth dropped open. How had he figured out it was her? Had he been watching her dance? He seemed to see this as he gave a chuckle and tucked it back into his shirt, right over his heart. "We can talk about it later princess," He smiled, acting like his usual self for a quick flash of time before looking at Hawkmoth and turning serious again. "But first I have to deal with this guy who thinks he can take you away."

Hawkmoth snorted at the silver stick that was pointed at him. "You really think you have a chance boy? I am Hawkmoth and I won't be defeated by a love-struck idiot with a puny stick!"

Chat Noir just smiled at him as he took the staff and pressed a button on the side. It suddenly shot out to twice its previous size and he easily split it in half, spinning both parts around in his fingers as he grinned at Hawkmoth's shocked face. "I admit, you're right about the love-struck idiot part," he said with a wink at Marinette, who giggled at him. "But this is not a puny stick. I actually think it's pretty nifty. Why don't you stick around to find out?"

Marinette hid a snigger at the pun and Hawkmoth growled. "Fine. If it's a fight you want, it's a fight you'll get you piece of street filth." He hurled Marinette to the ground and tied her up in the rope there, the knots so tight she could feel them cutting into her skin. He then leapt up onto the roof and faced Chat, bearing his own staff with the purple orb still cracked like his deranged grin. He lunged forwards with a great yell and brought it down on him. Chat Noir was only just able to reflect it and his reflexes pushed him backwards as Hawkmoth pushed him back with more swings of his cane.

"You won't win this, you stupid alley cat!" He shouted as he kept parrying his attacks. "She will not get away like last time!"

"Last time?" Chat was suddenly distracted and a blow caught him across the face. He was thrown to the other side of the roof and only just managed to cling on, losing one of his staffs to the murky water. He heard Marinette scream and he looked over at her to see she had managed to wriggle half of her body out of the rope ties and was trying to free herself. Their eyes met for a moment and he nodded as he realised Hawkmoth couldn't see her escaping. He turned his head back to see Hawkmoth advancing on him with a crazed look in his eyes. "What do you mean last time?"

Hawkmoth kept walking forwards, swinging his cane as his mouth twitched. "Last time she got away…" He snarled and Adrien felt a rush of fear as he realised the man was close to insane. "She left me…ran away from everything I gave her…she was only an opera dancer, she had no right to defy me no matter her talent…this time that won't happen, not again…"

Adrien felt like he had been hit by a cannonball as he looked up into the grey mask and suddenly the cold eyes seemed familiar. "What did you do to her?!" He yelled, taking Hawkmoth back. He got to his feet and they both sprang for each other, their weapons clashing in between them. Adrien used all his might to hold Hawkmoth back before he slashed his hand across his face, sending him reeling backwards. Adrien looked down at his hand and saw bits of the silvery material were glittering on his fingers like mercury. He looked back up at the face of Hawkmoth and saw the large tear he had created across half of his face and he froze in horror. Standing in front of him, with a cracked cane and a twisted smile, was Gabriel Agreste, his own father.

Adrien stumbled backwards, feeling like his world had caved in. All the time his father had been keeping this secret from him, that he was one of the most feared men in Paris and he had been about to take away the love of his life… He gritted his teeth as a wave of fury came over him and he hurled himself at him with a battle cry. Hawkmoth was only just able to block it in time and the pair of them were nose to nose again. Adrien could now see every part of his father's face and he wondered why he hadn't seen it before. Hot tears rose behind his eyes and scraped at the back of his throat as he fought to keep him down.

"What did you do to her?!" He shouted again. "What did you do to my mother?!"

"Your…Adrien?!" At those words he sprang back and they stared at each other, unable to believe this was what they had sunk to. "No…this isn't happening…you can't be…you're not my son! You're an imposter sent to fool me! I won't be fooled! Ladybug will dance at the Papillion and you won't stop me!"

"Father stop! You aren't thinking straight!" Adrien shouted in desperation but Gabriel was too far gone. He welded his broken cane and charged for him, his face contorted by anger almost beyond recognition. Adrien held up both his arms but Gabriel suddenly collapsed to the floor. He turned to see Marinette was standing triumphantly on the roof with the rope in her hands, holding in tight to restrain Gabriel as he writhed about on the ground.

"It's not nice to be tied up, is it?" She said before she saw how Adrien was looking at his father in dismay. "Chat are you-"

She never finished her question as the boat gave a mighty jolt that nearly sent both of them crashing to the ground. Marinette looked over the side, only just managing to keep herself steady as another one sent the boat rolling away from the bank and made Adrien topple over.

"The bank took a chunk out of the side of the boat!" She called over to him in a panic. "We have to move or we are going to sink!"

Thinking quickly, she ran over to him and pulled him upright, letting him wrap his arms around her body before they plunged into the water. She let go of the rope holding Hawkmoth as they hit the smooth surface and felt the shock of the cold water as it swallowed them both up. Adrien felt her take hold of his collar and tug him through the water as he stared back at the slowly sinking boat where on the roof, his father was yelling in rage but the words were complete gibberish and he sank back to his knees with his hands covering his face.

She didn't stop swimming until they reached a lower point in the bank, just underneath the bridge he had appeared on top of earlier. They hauled themselves up out of the cold water that dragged on their clothes and they lay there panting for a second before she crawled over to him. Her dark hair had been pulled out from its ponytails and it now hung limply around her still-masked face. Her dress was sodden and weighed twice as much as before but all her attention was on the soaked boy that was beside her.

"Chat? Can you hear me? Please talk to me." She begged him and he looked up at her softly with his green eyes filled with tears. "Oh Chat I'm so sorry…your father…I can't believe…"

"It's alright." He said as he reached a hand up to brush a few strands of wet hair from her cheek and sat up next to her, slightly shivering in this thin drenched garments. He looked up the river where in the distance, he could see the boat was being pulled back to the shoreline by the police and he sighed. "I think my father has been gone for a long time, that…just wasn't him. After my mother left, his mind was always fragile and finding out I was Chat Noir trying to stop his plans…it must have been the final straw."

"So his plan was…to use me as a replacement for your mother?" She said in a small voice and Adrien clenched his fists and scrunched his eyes shut as he nodded.

"He always did appreciate beautiful things. My mother…she must have danced at that wretched place for him for years and when she got sickened by it, she must have left. They really loved each other and that broke him truly. He must have wanted only the best dancer in Paris to take her place...and that was you." He took her face between his hands and tears flowed from his eyes and blurred her face. "If he had taken you…I'm so sorry," He bumped foreheads with her and she held him there as his shoulders shook. "Back at the theatre…I should never have let him get his hands on you, if I had been Chat Noir and not stupid pointless Adrien…"

"Don't say that." She said gently and he opened his eyes to see she was crying too. "Without you, I would still be on that boat. You saved me."

"Are you kidding me?" He gave a small laugh as he stroked her tears away with his own hand. "You were the one who saved me, you always were the one saving me."

She laughed at that, her giggles sounding like hiccups as she was still trying to stop crying. "We saved each other, let's leave it like that Adrien."

Her using his real name sounded almost strange but it also sent a warm glow through him. With her face still just in front of his, her finger ran up to his face, wiping his tears from his cheeks before she gently pulled away his mask and untangled his ears from his hair. They fell into his lap and he now felt almost stripped bare in front of her but she smiled at him and suddenly all the fears he had had about her not liking him faded away to nothing as her lips connected with his. They held each other closely as he tenderly reached up and took her mask from her face. She drew back with her sapphire eyes wide in surprise and he smiled as he ran his thumb over her cheekbone.

"That's my beautiful princess." He purred and the skin under his touch went bright pink as she leaned into it. "Or now that I know you're Ladybug, should I call you M'Lady?"

"Adrien stop it!" She giggled as he nuzzled into her neck like a kitten looking for warmth and she pushed him away affectionately. "But seriously, how did you know it was me? You didn't follow me, did you?"

"I wouldn't do that, I'm a gentleman!" He said almost affronted, his face so close to hers he could have counted the colours in her eyes. "I was in the audience watching you spellbound and when you looked up at my box I saw your eyes for a moment and recognised you. There's only one pair of eyes like yours Marinette."

She went red as she suddenly remembered the moment and he took the opportunity to softly kiss away the trails of more tears that she couldn't stop coming. "Silly kitty."

There was a sudden shout and they both turned their heads to see Gabriel Agreste was being lead off the now rapidly sinking boat which was creating bubbles on the surface of the water. He was still ranting although they couldn't hear what he was saying and Adrien had to look away. He hadn't been close to him for years and he had kept secrets all that time but it still hurt to see him like that.

"What am I going to do now?" He mused aloud, not noticing how Marinette slightly shook her head and smiled at him indulgently.

"We'll figure something out." Marinette had got to her feet and as he looked up, she took his hand and pulled him up to meet her. She softly planted another kiss on his lips as their fingers entwined like they were always meant to be woven together. "We can do it together. You don't need to be alone anymore."

He leant on her as they walked away, absent-mindedly running his fingers through her hair. "You're right." He said finally. "We'll figure it out. Together." He bent down and kissed her again, his other hand pulling her closer to him. "I love you Bugaboo."

"I love you too Adrien."

 _Yay, I'm so happy this chapter got finished at last, I was desperate to get it out of my system. This also isn't the end, I have one more chapter up my sleeve to finish it off. Thank you so much for all the encouragement and I'll see you all at the finish line!_


	8. Chapter 8

Three years later, Paris was again alive with whisperings and scandal when, on a blissful summer day, Adrien Agreste married Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Nobody could believe that history had seemingly repeated itself, that the sole heir to the Agreste fortune and name had stooped so low as to marry the daughter of a common baker yet it was occurring before their very eyes as after a long courtship, the pair finally exchanged rings and their vows.

The wedding was a simple affair, nothing like what most of society had expected of them. Instead of taking place in a grand ballroom or cathedral, it was held at the Dupain-Cheng's local chapel with less than a hundred witnesses to the ceremony. Most of the audience was Marinette's family and friends who were only just holding their tears in (Marinette's parents had lost that battle before their daughter had even walked in and sat on the front row with the happiest of tears pouring down their cheeks, determinedly not making any noise to spoil the moment) whilst the amount of guests from Adrien's side numbered less than ten. Natalie was also sat in the front row, her icy demeanour cracked for one day to allow her a few quiet sobs at the sight of her charge getting married but Gabriel and Adaline were nowhere to be seen. After the incident on the Seine, Gabriel Agreste had been declared mad after he attempted to attack the officers who rescued him, all whilst raving about cats and ladybugs and dancers. Adrien had been able to save him from prison but now he was living in an asylum in the hopes that he could be made better. Adrien had done his best to keep the story under wraps and on the whole he had been successful with only a few murmurs indicating anything had happened to Gabriel Agreste. He paid for the best doctors in Paris and visited him every month but progress had been slow and the doctors wondered if he would ever be himself again. Adrien had also been looking for his mother, trying to find any clues of her whereabouts by hiring a private investigator but nothing had come up. He hadn't lost hope though-he had waited so long for it, he knew he could wait a little longer. And this day wasn't about his father regaining his sanity or his mother coming home. It was about him and Marinette.

He had almost broken down when he had seen her walking up the aisle towards him; she had been the most beautiful vision he had ever seen. Even the society beauties fuming with the most jealousy couldn't deny that she looked stunning. Her dress was unsurprisingly one of her own creations, a ball gown of white satin with long lace sleeves, pearls stitched onto the delicate embroidery and a matching lace veil that stretched out behind her like the tail of a peacock. It was beautiful and it was perfect though nobody would have expected anything less from the head designer of the Agreste fashion house.

Marinette had been his rock during those first few difficult months, the only thing keeping him sane when everything had fallen on his shoulders all at once and it had nearly overwhelmed him. At nights he had continued to visit her, bringing paperwork that they could go over and hearing her advice on certain decisions. They had waited until those first few months were over, when everything had been settled and everything was in Adrien's name before they began publically courting. The story of how they had first met, how Adrien had walked into the bakery and brought some cookies from her and then later turned up with some roses for her, had almost driven the city into a frenzy with many shocked and appalled that it was being allowed to happen. After all, even if her parents were well off she was still common. Neither of them cared though. Adrien had hated the endless society functions he had been forced to attend and he was glad to strike them off his calendar along with all his modelling photoshoots. As he said, the head of the company couldn't be seen modelling the designs. Besides he didn't need their approval. He had his princess and she was all he needed.

All of these thoughts went swirling through his mind as Marinette walked closer to him, her eyes never leaving his as she too tried not to cry. This moment was more than she had ever asked for and she was determined not to spoil it with tears. She gave her father a kiss on the cheek as he gave her hand to Adrien and then passed her bouquet, made entirely of the largest, most fragrant red roses they had picked the day before, to her mother before she stood in front of the man she loved as they made their vows.

As the priest spoke, she stared lovingly into his green eyes, fondly remembering how the first time she had seen them, they had been framed by a black leather mask. Neither Ladybug nor Chat Noir had been heard of since that day by the river. Their masks had been found side by side on the riverbank, their ties curled together like they were holding hands. They had been sorry to leave them behind but their alter egos were no longer needed. The papers had had a field day with their disappearance, spinning out the story for weeks but it had soon died down and now Ladybug and Chat Noir were almost legends, like characters in a fairy tale. Even now the citizens of Paris liked to speculate what had happened to them. Nobody suspected them to be the shy couple who worked quietly backstage as their business boomed and fame grew.

The priest smiled at them both warmly as he allowed Adrien to kiss his bride. He swept away her veil and their kiss was sweet and loving. It reminded her of their first kiss under the night sky in a bed of roses and she smiled softly as their mouths moved away so they could hold each other. Their highly unconventional courtship had now ended with traditional marriage and now a new adventure of theirs would begin. As they walked back down the aisle, she saw the way he was looking at her and she felt her cheeks go pink. Even after all this time, he still had the power to make her flustered with just a look. She turned and saw him sneakily wink at her in a way that was so Chat Noir, she had to giggle. Oh yes, their courtship had been unconventional-how many other women met their husbands when they crept into their rooms to leave them things-but she wouldn't have had it any other way.

The wedding party burst into the sunlight outside with great cheers as the beaming couple descended the small steps to the church. They were showered with rose petals as they stood at the bottom, laughing as they were piled with so many they felt like they were in the middle of a red snowstorm.

"How many roses did he give you?" She laughed as they were pelted with more. He only just heard her over the cheering and clapping and he held her closer so she could hear his answer.

"I don't know, I must have bought the whole field!" He said and they both burst out laughing again. When they were both able to speak again, he stroked his fingers across her chin and whispered "All the roses in the world wouldn't be able to compare to you though."

"Oh Adrien." She giggled as she kissed him softly, making the crowd around them cheer even louder. As they broke apart, they stared into each other's eyes, deep green meeting bright blue, and for a lingering moment the flurry of red petals melted away as they made their own private vows to each other.

"I love you Bugaboo."

"I love you too silly kitty."

 _And…cut!_

 _I had a great time writing this story and I hope you all enjoyed it just as much as I did. Thank you to you all for your amazing comments, they really made writing this a pleasure. I'll see you in another story but for now I'm out. CursedRedRose_


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